The cat who flies high

If Qwill, the main human character in Lilian Jackson Braun’s “The cat who…” mysteries, can write limericks–well, so can I! Here’s one, all about my big black kitty, Tony Budge, for whom the sky is the limit:

Once was a kitty named Tony,

Could jump higher than any pony.

Once reached a cloud,

Attracting a crowd

“I’ll charge admission next time,” said Tony.

Though soon to celebrate his 15th birthday, Tony still holds our household’s all-time high-jumping record. Actually, it’s a high-flying record because Tony really soars when he gets going. Maybe he doesn’t reach a cloud, as my limerick implies, but he sure reaches some fantastic heights that any onlooker would have to call awesome.

Early in Tony’s flying career he soared to the mantel, which was at least eight feet or so off the floor (anyway, it was way over my head, and I’m a tall cat lady). He pussyfooted among the fragile ornaments, not disturbing a one; then soared to a picture that was hanging on the wall–swinging wildly and widely on the frame until he could leap to a table and then to the floor, making a perfect, four-footed landing. I nearly had a heart attack during all this high flying action. But the aviator simply shook himself, washed his ears and nonchalantly padded away.

The exploit belongs in the record books, and that’s for sure. It remains Tony’s finest hour, deserving of a Lifetime Achievement Award. But he’s still setting an enviable pace, using the bed as a runway and flying to a lofty bureau quite regularly.

Just how high can a cat jump, anyway?

According to some sources, a kitty can soar five times its own height. I have never measured Tony’s height–he wouldn’t stand still for that for a minute. But he’s a big guy, so maybe this accounts for some of his ability. Other sources contend that a cat’s ability to jump is a matter of how long his tail happens to be. The longer the tail, in other words, the higher the leap. But I don’t put much stock in this. I’ve seen Shorty, the Siamese who often visits our yard, leap to the top of the privacy fence, which has to be about six feet high. And he has the stubbiest tail you’ve ever seen–hardly a tail at all.

Most authorities on the subject attribute jumping ability to specialized muscles and bones in the cat’s back legs. All cats have these. But it would seem that not every cat has the desire to use them to the extent that Tony and other high jumpers do.

Vets tell me that jumping ability really depends on the individual cat. It’s a talent, and some kitties are just more talented than others and more determined to prove it. It also might have something to do with the desire to reach heights that have never been reached before–and not all cats think that’s worth the trouble (unless a dog is on their furry heels, that is).

Mao, Cinnamon and Muffin, my outdoor three, stay pretty much in the backyard and so dog dangers are minimized. But they’re still jumping high with the exuberance of youth. They can already race along the privacy fence after Shorty, letting him know this yard is their airport. Tony watches them from the window like a flight instructor observing new cadets. He seems to be pleased at their progress. It doesn’t mean, though, that they will ever surpass him. No … he purrs confidently, his supremacy is assured. In his opinion (and in mine) Tony Budge is the greatest kitty aviator of all time.